


Fraternity

by tenuit



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dehumanization, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Imprisonment, Multiverse, Physical Abuse, Starvation, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 15:15:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8922070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenuit/pseuds/tenuit
Summary: Sans tries to create a time machine, and instead creates a machine that affects space. He switches himself with another version of himself in a completely different universe. Events spiral out of control from there.





	1. Chapter 1

Papyrus rifles through his impressive collection of t-shirts when he hears a strange noise, like a faint buzzing. Initially he pays it no mind, but as he moves aside his COOL DUDE shirt to reach his PRETTY NEAT GUY shirt, he realizes that it is getting louder. He can feel it vibrating his teeth. He shuts the door to his closet, hurries out of his room, and down the stairs.

"SANS? SANS CAN YOU HEAR THAT?" He looks around the living room. "BROTHER ARE YOU IN HERE?" No one seems to be in the house with him. The buzzing continues, though, and he can tell now that it is coming from beneath him. He also hears a barely audible static-like screech, but that seems to be coming from everywhere at once. Papyrus taps the side of his head worriedly and walks to the front door.

"WHAT IS HE DOING DOWN THERE?" Papyrus opens the door and steps outside. His boots crunch in the snow as he shuts the door behind him. He begins to walk around to the back of the house, where the entrance to the basement is. Sans keeps his lab down there, and usually doesn’t like Papyrus going into his lab. _This was ridiculous though! He couldn't do experiments that shook the whole house like this!_

As he grips the cellar doors, the buzzing crescendos into a sharp whine, and stops abruptly. Papyrus winces at the sound and pulls open the doors.

"SANS! WHAT WAS THAT? I COULD HEAR IT ALL THE WAY UP–" He stops. There is something...wrong. Papyrus rarely spends any time down here, but the lab doesn't look right. Everything looks a bit…exploded. More importantly, something is wrong with Sans. He is curled up on the floor, and his clothes are different. Papyrus didn't even know he had anything other than the blue sweatshirt he always wears. There are thick manacles around his wrists and ankles, which confuses Papyrus even further. There’s something wrong with his teeth, but what really worries Papyrus is the look on Sans' face. He looks so...scared. Papyrus has never seen him like this.

"WHAT'S HAPPENED? WHAT'S GOING ON? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

“I– I’m sorry I didn’t– I didn’t do anything I wasn’t t-trying to get out it– it– it just hap-happened?” he says, crawling away from where Papyrus is standing. He brings his hands up in front of his body.

“WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” Papyrus steps into the room, and walks towards Sans. This draws a choking gasp from the skeleton on the floor.

“No– noplease– pleasedon’tI’msorry” he said, curling up into the fetal position on the floor with his hands over his head.

“SANS, I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON BUT–” as he nears, he gets a good look at Sans. His clothes are torn and ragged, and his arms and legs are crisscrossed with scars, including one spot on his leg which has three perfectly circular holes. Something _is_ wrong with his teeth: they are very sharp, and he appears to be missing one. He’s trembling. “WHA- WHAT HAPPENED?” Papyrus rushes to Sans, reaching for him. He flinches away from Papyrus’ touch, but is now silent. Carefully, Papyrus gathers Sans into his arms and heads back out of the cellar. He is surprisingly lighter than usual. Papyrus rushes around to the front of the house.

With one hand, he opens the door and pushes it open. Quickly, he runs up the stairs. Sans begins to stir again as he feels the jolting of Papyrus’ steps on up the stairs. Papyrus reaches the top of the stairs and turns right, heading towards Sans’ room. Sans suddenly jerks to one side, grabbing the handle to Papyrus’ room and ripping himself out of Papyrus’ arms.

“SANS, WH–” Sans begins to crawl back towards the stairs, shaking, and starts to scream.

“NONONO– PLEASE– NOT– NOT THERE? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON’T I’M SORRY!” Sans turns his head to look up at Papyrus and inches away further. Papyrus can see the crazed fear in his eyes. Papyrus stands there, frozen.

“SANS, DO YOU– DO YOU NOT WANT TO GO TO YOUR ROOM?”

“NO! NO! ANYWHERE ELSE! ANYWHERE! I’LL GO BACK TO THE BASEMENT! PLEASE!” Sans turns around completely, holding a hand out in front of him. Papyrus stares down at him, a sick feeling forming in his chest.

“SANS– SANS WE DON’T– I WON’T TAKE YOU TO YOUR ROOM.” Sans jerks a little at that statement.

“wh-what? r-really?” He stares up at Papyrus in shock.

“REALLY. WE CAN JUST GO DOWN TO THE COUCH.” He walks over to Sans and picks him up again, who appears too shocked to object. He walks back down to the couch and sits Sans on it. He holds his shoulders gently. “SANS, I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT YOU SEEM INJURED AND CONFUSED. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG, BROTHER.”

Sans eyes widen. “bro-brother? you– you– ca-called me–” He looks at Papyrus, his eyes going from his expression to his teeth to his clothing. “You– you’re– you’re…not him.” He stares up at Papyrus in wonder and confusion.

“WHAT? WHAT DOES–” Then it clicks for Papyrus as well. “YOU’RE– YOU’RE NOT–NOT _MY_ SANS, ARE YOU? YOU’RE SOMEONE ELSE I THINK?” Sans nods at him numbly.

“he– he doesn’t– he doesn’t call me brother…” Papyrus looks him in the eyes. Sans looks away. Papyrus takes a deep breath and comes to a decision.

“BUT THAT IS ALRIGHT! I ALWAYS HAVE ROOM FOR ANOTHER BROTHER!” He pats Sans’ shoulders. Sans turns his head sharply to look at Papyrus.

“wh-what? why? you–” Papyrus smiles at him.

“DO NOT WORRY, BROTHER. I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU SOMETHING TO EAT! AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED?” Papyrus walks away, into the kitchen, and Sans stares after him. There’s loud clanking from the kitchen for a bit. After some time, Papyrus walks out with a triumphant look on his face. “ALRIGHT BROTHER, I HAVE MADE YOU,” he pauses dramatically, “SPAGHETTI!” He flourishes a plate of half-cooked spaghetti with cold sauce poured over it. Sans stares at the plate with wide eyes.

“I– I’m– I’m allowed?” he asks, voice shaking. Papyrus’ smile falters a bit.

“YES SANS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ASK. YOU CAN EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT.” He pushes the plate into Sans’ hands. Sans looks down at the meal, mouth agape. Papyrus gently eases a fork into his hand. Sans continues to stare at the food.

“are– are you– you’re su-sure? It’s- it’s not a t-test?”

“NO. THERE’S NO TEST. JUST, I WANT YOU TO EAT, OKAY? YOU SEEM VERY HUNGRY.” Sans sticks his fork shakily into the pasta and looks up at Papyrus, watching warily as he brings the fork to his mouth. Trembling, he puts the spaghetti in his mouth, chews, and then swallows. He looks at Papyrus for a reaction. Papyrus smiles. He starts eating more, and speeds up, shoving the pasta into his mouth at an alarming rate. Papyrus watches him.

“WELL, YOU SEEM TO LIKE MY COOKING MORE THAN SAN– MY BRO– MY OTHER– MY FIRST BROTHER?” Papyrus makes a confused face. “THIS IS GOING TO BE CONFUSING.” Papyrus looks down at Sans’ now-empty plate. “DO YOU WANT MORE?” Sans hesitates, but nods, and Papyrus takes the plate from him and heads back into the kitchen.

Sans looks around the room. It looks like his– but not quite. The wallpaper was the same, as was the carpet, and even the couch looked just like the one at home. There are differences though. There is a television, which surprises him. Next to it, there appears to be a sock covered in sticky notes. There is also a table by the door, which holds a plate…with a rock on it. The entire situation was surreal.

Papyrus walks back over to him and hands him another plate of spaghetti. Sans eats this one just as quickly, and doesn’t stop until he’s finished a fifth plate.

“NO ONE HAS EVER EATEN THAT MUCH OF MY COOKING.” He picks up the plate and brings it back into the kitchen. He walks back out and sits on the couch next to Sans. “UM…” He fidgets with his gloves, not looking at Sans. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW YOU GOT HERE? OR…OR WHERE MY– OR WHERE SANS–THE OTHER SANS I MEAN–IS?”

Sans looks over at him, unsure what’s happening is even _real_. “I– I don’t– I don’t kn-know?” He sees the disappointment in Papyrus’ face and tenses, but Papyrus doesn’t do anything to him. He just puts his face in his hands.

“THAT’S WHAT I WAS WORRIED YOU WOULD SAY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED EITHER.” He slumps over. “I– I HAVE TO FIND HIM.” He looks over to the Sans sitting next to him, then stands and moves to the closet under the stairs, pulling out a thick comforter. He brings it back over to the couch and spreads it over Sans’ lap. “YOU SHOULD JUST REST. I AM GOING TO GO TO THE BASEMENT TO…TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.” He stands up and walks to the front door, opening it and walking through. The door clicks shut and Sans is left alone in the house.

_He…he said I could rest._ Sans lays down on the couch and hugs the comforter around himself. _He said…I’m his brother._ He hunkers into the couch. _It’s been so long since I was allowed on the couch._ He closes his eyes and revels in the softness surrounding him on all sides.

“maybe this is real?” he mumbles to himself as he drifts off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

“ugh.” Sans sits up and rubs his head. He looks around himself. It is rather dark. “what that hell?” It looks like he is still in the basement, but all of his equipment is missing, and the lights are off. His eyes adjust, and he notices some thick…rings set into the wall. He raises his eyebrows at that and scans the room again. _Did I destroy all my equipment?_ He walks toward the door, pulling at the handle.

It doesn’t budge. He tugs on it again, harder. It doesn’t move. He sighs and teleports to the other side of it. He lands outside in the snow and trudges around to the front of the house, annoyed. He flings open the door, wiping his feet on the mat.

“Pap, sorry about the noise,” he yells upstairs. He slumps onto the couch, closing his eyes. _I was sure that would work. What went wrong?_ He ponders to himself as he hears Papyrus’ door open upstairs. Sans pinches the bridge of his nose-hole, thinking. _Why would all my equipment be destroyed though? Perhaps it was transported to the other-_

Suddenly he’s grabbed by the soul and slammed up against the wall. He snaps his eyes open to look in front of him. Papyrus is standing there, eyes glowing red, holding him against the wall.

“wh-what? Pap what the hell–”

“WHY ARE YOU OUT OF THE BASEMENT? _HOW_ ARE YOU OUT OF THE BASEMENT?” The words don’t register; Papyrus looks angrier than Sans has ever seen him. Somehow his eyes are sharper, and his outfit looks strange. Too much red and black.

“Papyrus put me down what are you–”

A bone _slams_ into his shoulder blade, ripping through it and digging into the wall behind him. Sans screams.

 _“AAAAGHK_ – _fuck!”_ His hands clench in pain and he stares down at Papyrus in shock. “wh– hff– hff– what?” He looks into Papyrus’ eyes and sees only anger and disdain. Sans has never seen this much loathing in another monster, let alone in his broth-

_This isn’t his brother._

With that thought, he teleports away. He doesn’t even think about it, just _jumps_. He lands in Waterfall, dizzy.

“what the fuck- what the fuck did I- what- where am I…?” He staggers into the wall. “did it work what did I…” Sans glances around to make sure he’s alone and slumps to the floor of the cavern. His shoulder burns. He rips the bone out and stares at it. It’s still glowing with magic, and he throws it away from himself. _No killing intent._ He wonders whether that’s a good or a bad thing. It takes him a few minutes to collect himself.

 _Okay, Sans, think. What happened?_ He looks around. _Looks like Waterfall, but…not quite._ The path is not as well maintained, and there is significant damage to the cavern walls. _Did it actually work? Have I traveled to the future?_ He thinks for a moment. _But that definitely_ wasn’t _Papyrus. Just looked and sounded like him, but…sharp. Cruel._ He shudders. _What happened then? Am I…is this another universe? Parallel? Alternate?_ He ponders, touching the area around his wound and hissing. _Well it was supposed to switch my consciousness with my consciousness at another point in time…_

He starts to write on the ground, hand scratching numbers and symbols into the dirt. After a few minutes, he sits back against the wall. _Shit._ He rubs his face with the back of his hand. _I’ve switched myself with the Sans from here._ He feels a chill run down his spine. _If Papyrus was like that…what’s the Sans like?_ Fear prickles along the back of the neck. _He’s alone with Papyrus._ He grits his teeth and stands up with a grunt of pain. He teleports away, landing in The Lab.

Sans walks to a console and begins to type. _Where am I? Can I reverse this? How long will it take?_ His fingers move quickly over the keyboard, his brow furrowed. For a few minutes there is no sound in the room except for the clicking of his hands on the keyboard. Then the door opens behind him and he whirls, summoning bones around himself defensively.

A yellow lizard-monster is standing in the doorway, holding a cup of instant noodles in one hand and a clipboard in the other. She looks up from the clipboard and lets out a small shriek when she sees Sans. She starts to dig into her pocket, and Sans holds up his hands.

“hey, hold on, just a–” She pulls a remote out of her pocket and depresses a button. A siren begins to sound, and metal panels slam down over all the consoles in the room. The door in front of the other monster slams shut as well. The entire facility goes into lockdown.

“shit.” He teleports away, to a room on a lower level of the Lab. He can still hear the alarm. This room has locked down as well. _Thank god for teleportation._ He looks around the room. _I should be in…_ Sans spots the boxes along the wall. “bingo.” He walks over and begins to rifle through the boxes, mumbling to himself. “based on my numbers…reverse the…simpler…initial switch…hmmm.” The alarms continue, and he works as quickly as possible, glancing at the door occasionally. He shoves various electronics and metal into his inventory. He has to clear out most of his inventory first, dumping water sausages all over the lab floor.

Sans grunts and teleports back to Waterfall. He scans the walls. _Where to hide? I need enough space to make the device…_ He walks along, checking holes in the walls. Finally, he finds a small cavern. The entrance is too small to fit through, but he can see that it widens out and seems to curve a bit at the back. _Perfect._ He teleports in and examines the cavern. It’s cramped. _I think I’ll have enough room._

He begins taking items out of his inventory and sets to work. He’s tired, though. An hour into his work, he slumps against the wall, exhausted by pain and anxiety. “fuck. maybe just a little nap I…ten minutes.” He leans his head back against the cool rock of his hideaway. He allows himself to drift off. _Just for a moment._

Hours later, Sans jerks awake. “shit! how long have I…” He looks down, where a component is still clutched in his hand. He blinks, trying to wake up completely. He stands back up and rubs his eye sockets. “dammit.” Sans begins to work on his machine again. With a renewed sense of purpose and proper rest, the rest of his machine only takes another hour and a half to finish. He grunts and steps back to look it over.

“I hope this works,” he mutters to himself. He grits his teeth and steps forward, flipping the machine on. He waits, tense, until he hears a faint buzzing start to come from the machine. He relaxes a little bit as it gets louder. The buzzing gets louder, vibrating his bones. Finally, it turns into a sharp whine and Sans disappears with a small _pop_.

He reappears in Waterfall. _His_ Waterfall. For a moment though he thinks he hasn’t gone anywhere. _No, the machine is gone, so…_ He teleports to his house immediately, and swings the front door open. He walks into his house, barely registering the smell of Papyrus’ “cooking” and the rumpled blanket on the couch.

“Pap? Papyrus?” He calls out for his brother and rushes up the stairs. He flings Papyrus’ door open, looking around. “bro? you in here?” The room is silent and empty. He taps his teeth together in worry and annoyance. _Is he okay? Did that other me do something to him?_ “Papyrus?” he calls out again. _Where else would he be? Patrolling? Not if I was missing._ He grinds his teeth a bit and thinks to himself. _If I were Papyrus I would look for me in…my lab._ He teleports there immediately, ending up in the center of the basement.

Papyrus is slumped over Sans’ desk, sleeping. Sans lets out a sigh of relief. He looks around his lab, at all the debris. It appears that Papyrus has organized it into piles. He walks over to his brother and shakes his shoulder gently.

“Hey Pap I’m back,” he says quietly. Papyrus jerks awake, looking up at him.

“OH MY GOD _SANS!_ YOU’RE BACK!” Papyrus is on his feet in an instant, and pulls Sans into a crushing hug. “BROTHER I WAS SO WORRIED I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!” Sans grins and returns the hug.

“sorry for worrying you, bro. had a little mishap in the lab is all, heh. but I’m back now.” He rubs Papyrus’ back. “everything’s reversed. that other me is gone too you don’t have to worry about him.” Papyrus tenses and pulls out of the hug, looking at Sans’ face.

“WHAT?” He looks terrified.

“he’s…gone?” He hesitates at this strange reaction. “back to his timeline? where he can’t hurt–”

 _“NO!”_ Sans flinches, shocked. “YOU CAN’T SEND HIM BACK THERE! HE– OH GOD SANS…” Tears are forming in his eye sockets, threatening to fall. He grips Sans’ shoulders tightly. “SANS HE WASN’T– HE WASN’T HURTING ANYONE SOMEONE HURT _HIM_.”

“what? what’re you–”

“SOMEONE HURT HIM A LOT SANS! HE HAD _SO MANY_ WOUNDS AND HE WAS SO _AFRAID_. AFRAID OF _ME_ , SANS! I– SANS I THINK– I THINK HIS– HIS–” Papyrus sobs and clutches Sans tighter. _“I THINK HIS BROTHER IS THE ONE WHO HURT HIM.”_

Sans feels his chest constrict. He feels lightheaded.

“SANS I TOLD HIM HE COULD BE MY BROTHER– _OUR_ BROTHER– I– I– SANS YOU HAVE TO UNDO IT. _PLEASE._ WE CAN’T LEAVE HIM THERE! NOT THERE! NOT BY HIMSELF WITH…” Papyrus breaks off, unable to continue speaking through his own weeping. Sans is frozen in place with his eyelights out. His breathing is shallow and his teeth are clenched.

“ohgodwhatdidIdo.”


	3. Chapter 3

Sans sleeps deeply. He doesn’t wake when a sharp whine begins to build around him, and gets louder and louder, ending in a small pop. He doesn’t wake when the blanket over him disappears and he’s suddenly on another couch. He doesn’t even move, laying on the couch for hours.

He _does_ wake when a hand grabs his shoulder roughly.

“YOU REALLY ARE STUPID, AREN’T YOU?” He’s awake instantly, fear jolting him to consciousness. He looks up from the couch. _Couch? Why am I-_

“I HOPE YOU DON’T EXPECT ME TO BE EASIER ON YOU BECAUSE YOU CAME BACK ON YOUR OWN.” Papyrus is standing over him, eyes blazing red. He looks _angry_. He pulls something out of his inventory and Sans catches a glint of metal before he feels something cold and hard snap tightly around his neck. “MY LIEUTENANT ASSURES ME THIS WILL STOP THAT PESKY _TELEPORTING._ YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO USE MAGIC. I’VE HAD QUITE ENOUGH OF CHASING YOU AROUND THE UNDERGROUND.”

“n-no I– p-please I d-didn’t r-run it wasn’t– wasn’t my f-fault it ju-jus–“

“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR THE EXCUSES.” Papyrus’ hand digs into his shoulder as he begins to drag him towards the stairs.

“NO! _PLEASE!_ ” Sans struggles in his grip, but he is too weak to provide much resistance. “N-NO! BR-BROTHER I–” He lets out a small gasp as Papyrus stops. He looks down at Sans, whose eyes have grown wide.

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?”

“I– I’msosorryI’msorryCaptainpleaseforgivemeI–”

“WELL.” Papyrus resumes walking up the stairs. “YOU JUST KEEP MAKING IT WORSE FOR YOURSELF, DON’T YOU? YOU LITTLE IMBECILE.” Sans sobs and tries to get out of Papyrus’ grasp. His feet scrape along the floor as he tries to pull away.

“please p-please I’m s-sorry Ididn’tmeanitI’msorry–”

“SHUT UP.” Papyrus reaches the top of the stairs and drags Sans over to the far door.

“NO! PLEASE! PLEASEANYWHEREELSEPLEASE!” He’s clawing at the hand gripping his shoulder, but to no avail. Papyrus opens the door and pulls him inside.

The room is very bare. Along one wall is a small workbench, with tools lined up neatly in rows. In the center of the room is a table. There are thick leather straps on it. Papyrus drags him to the table as Sans begins to scream and babble desperately. He slams him onto the table and holds him there with soul magic while he begins strapping him down.

“YOU TRULY MUST BE STUPID. YOU WERE SEEN IN THE ROYAL SCIENTIST’S LAB. HOW MANY TELEPORTING SKELETONS DO YOU THINK THERE ARE IN THE UNDERGROUND? NOW IT LOOKS AS IF I LET YOU RUN AMOK. DOING AS YOU PLEASE. THAT I DON’T HAVE YOU _UNDER_ _CONTROL._ YOU’VE MADE ME LOOK _WEAK._ ”

“n-no no pleasenoIdidn’tno–”

“SHUT _UP_.” He finishes strapping him onto the table and stands back to ensure Sans is properly secured. Sans is shaking and tugging on the straps, but he’s not getting anywhere. He’s unable to do more than struggle fruitlessly at the bonds. He’s weeping openly now. Papyrus walks over to the workbench and considers the tools.

“pleaseohgod– Ca-CaptainIdidn’tdoanythingIpr-promiseI– I d-don’t know wh-wha-what happened pl-please _please._ ” _What’s happening? Why was I on the couch what–_ He shudders and tries to control his breathing. _I was in the basement I wasn’t running I_ – He whimpers. _The other Pap– there was another Pap and he…he was…oh god_ –

Sans is jerked back to the present by the sound of a drill. Papyrus turns around and grins at him. _Nonononononono!_ Papyrus walks back over to him and places the bit of the drill against his leg. He turns the drill on and it bites into his tibia, sending bone dust into the air.

 _“AAAAAUUUGH!”_ Sans writhes in the straps, his breathing rasping and broken. Papyrus continues to drill, and the bit goes all the way through, hitting the table underneath. He revs the drill and moves it in and out a, evening out the hole. Sans is panting.

“p-p-pl-please? I’m _s-sorry_.” Papyrus ignores him and moves the drill down about an inch. He begins again, and Sans screams. “stopstopstopstopplease _STOP!”_ Papyrus chuckles.

“NYEHEHEHEH. IT’S A LITTLE LATE FOR THAT. I HOPE YOU HAD FUN ON YOUR LITTLE _ADVENTURE_. IT WON’T BE HAPPENING AGAIN.” He pulls the drill out and starts on a third hole. “IN FACT, IT APPEARS THE BASEMENT IS NOT AS SECURE AS I THOUGHT. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD STAY HERE NOW. ON A PERMANENT BASIS.”

“n-no p-please I– l-l-let me g-go back to the bas-basement? _p-please?”_ He can’t stop his voice from breaking.

“NO. I DO NOT THINK SO. I THINK THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL STAY NOW. IT IS AN INCONVENIENCE TO BRING YOU UP AND DOWN. AND YOU NEVER _COOPERATE_. THIS WILL BE MUCH SIMPLER.” He rips out the drill and Sans cringes.

“I– I– p-pleas I w-won’t run I–” Papyrus’ arm snaps around and the drill bit presses against the side of Sans’ head.

“I TOLD YOU TO _SHUT UP._ IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM HEARING, PERHAPS YOU NEED ANOTHER EAR HOLE?” Sans clamps his mouth shut and shakes his head. “IF I HEAR ANYTHING BESIDES YOUR _MEWLING_ I’M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO YOUR SKULL. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” Sans nods jerkily, eyeing the drill with fear. “GOOD.” He removes the drill and walks back over to the workbench. He places the drill back into its place. “HMMM.”

Sans shuts his eyes. _don’twanttoseeitdon’tlookDON’TLOOK._ His breathing is labored and he can hear Papyrus moving things on the table. Metal scrapes on metal. Papyrus walks back over to the table. Sans can _feel_ him standing there. He whimpers. Then he feels something being shoved _into_ the holes on his leg. He gasps in pain and his eyes snap open reflexively. He looks down, to where Papyrus has shoved…some sort of fork into his leg? He begins to turn it in his leg, _twisting_ it in the holes.

 _“AAaaaAAUUuuUUUAUGH!”_ Sans screams and his fingers scrape on the table. _NOSTOP!_ He squeezes his eyes shut again but it doesn’t help. Papyrus pushes it farther, twisting more. A gurgling cry escapes his throat as he struggles uselessly. His leg creaks under the strain, and he can feel it _cracking_. He whimpers again, clenching his fingers and toes in pain.

Suddenly the pressure on his leg is gone and there’s a loud _thump_ to on the wall behind him. He opens his eyes to look and–

He sees _himself_ standing in the doorway to his room. But _not_ himself. He’s wearing a blue sweatshirt, and his teeth are flat. His eye is flashing blue and yellow and he looks _furious_. He is holding hand up, pointing it at the wall behind Sans. Sans stares at the other him in confusion.

“Pap, get in here,” the other Sans hisses. Then, through the door comes– it’s _him_. _The other Papyrus_. Sans makes a choking noise. When the Papyrus sees Sans he makes a small strangled noise and runs over to him. He begins unstrapping Sans.  
“y-yo-you? wh-what?” Sans shakes as the other Papyrus unstraps him and lifts him gently from the table. He cradles Sans in his arms.

“YOU’RE WITH ME NOW SANS WE’RE TAKING YOU AWAY,” he says, voice strained. The other Papyrus rushes him out of the room, and Sans clings to him in a haze of confusion and hope. _What? He’s? Takingmeaway?_ The other Papyrus runs down the stairs and Sans sees a glowing _something_ hanging midair in the living room. It looks like a magical tear in the air itself. It pulses blue and purple. Sans stares at it, doubting his sanity.

The other Papyrus looks back up the stairs. _“SANS!”_ he yells, and in seconds the other Sans appears next to them with a flicker of blue. He grabs Papyrus’ arm and drags all three of them through the tear. Sans feels his bones tingle as they pass through. On the other side is–

 _The basement._ Sans tenses and the other Sans summons a bone. Sans shrieks a little but the other him just uses it to smash some sort of machine. The blue-purple rip in reality blinks out abruptly. The other Sans places a hand on Papyrus and in another flash of blue the three of them are standing in the living room again. There’s a rumpled blanket on the couch. _The other living room._ _Not– not the same._ The other two are talking and he focuses enough to listen to them.

“HE NEEDS A DOCTOR SANS _LOOK AT HIS LEG!”_

“Pap what are we supposed to tell the Guard? they’re gonna wanta know who did this what do you want me to tell them!?”

“I DON’T KNOW SANS BUT IT _DOESN’T MATTER!”_ Papyrus is cupping the back of Sans’ head, holding him close to his chest. “HE NEEDS HELP _NOW!”_ The other Sans grits his teeth and begins to pace.

“just– just let me think…” Papyrus walks over to the couch and sits down. He takes Sans’ shoulders and looks at him.

“SANS, IT’S ME. PAPYRUS.” Sans flinches at the name and Papyrus notices. “I– I’M SORRY SANS I WON’T SAY– I WON’T SAY THAT AGAIN.” He rubs his shoulders. “YOU’RE SAFE NOW, OKAY SANS? YOU’RE SAFE AND WE’RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.” Sans stares at Papyrus in disbelief.

“wh-what? y-you– wh-wh-why?” Papyrus smiles weakly at him.

“I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE MY BROTHER NOW, DIDN’T I? AND I WOULD NEVER LEAVE MY BROTHER THERE. SANS AND I ARE– ARE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AND– WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE NO ONE EVER HURTS YOU AGAIN.” Sans is shaking and grabs onto Papyrus’ shirt.

“yo-you c-came t-to– to g-get me?”

“OF COURSE SANS. WE WILL ALWAYS COME TO GET YOU IF YOU ARE IN TROUBLE.” He pulls him into a hug. “YOU’RE OUR BROTHER NOW AND WE WOULDN’T ABANDON YOU THERE.” Sans sobs and leans against Papyrus’ chest, still gripping his shirt. _Is this real? Please please please be real._ He shivers and Papyrus grabs the blanket off the couch and wraps it around him. He strokes the top of his head. “YOU’RE SAFE NOW. YOU’RE WITH US. WE WON’T LET ANYONE HURT YOU.”

The other Sans looks over at them. “I’ll…go get a doctor. as for the Guard…I’ll…think of something. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He opens the door and gives the two of them one last worried glance before closing the door behind him.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG HE’S GOING TO BE GONE SANS.” He looks down at him. “MAYBE YOU WANT TO REST WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THE DOCTOR?”

“p-please? I’m– s-so– so tired.” Papyrus nods and tries to move him to the couch. He clings to him desperately. “p-pleasedon’tleaveme? please?” Papyrus stops.

“I– YOU WANT ME TO STAY?” Sans nods and leans into him.

“yesplease?” He grips Papyrus’ shirt tighter.

“ALRIGHT. WHATEVER YOU WANT, SANS.” He lays back against the couch, never letting go of him. “IT WILL BE OKAY. WE WILL GET YOU A DOCTOR AND IT WILL BE OKAY.”

“thankyou. ohgodthankyousomuch,” he mumbles into his chest. He closes his eyes. It’s not long before he passes out in Papyrus’ arms.


	4. Chapter 4

After what only seems like moments, Sans is gently shaken awake. He jerks, grabbing at Papyrus’ shirt in a muddled daze. “I’msorryIfellasleepIwas–” He blinks at the face in front of him. He’s _lying_ _on top of Papyrus_. For a moment he feels such intense fear that his mind stops.

“SANS, IT’S JUST ME. PA– YOUR BROTHER. REMEMBER?” Papyrus looks at him worriedly. Sans brain clicks back on. He sucks in a breath sharply.

“br-brother?” Sans tries to focus on the face in front of him. “r-right, ri-r-right.”  Papyrus sits up, cradling Sans, who leans into him.

“SANS– WE FOUND A DOCTOR FOR YOU.” Sans looks around, spotting an unfamiliar monster in the room, along with the other Sans. He jerks a little and his grip on Papyrus tightens. “IT’S OKAY, SANS. SHE’S NOT GOING TO HURT YOU. SHE JUST WANTS TO HEAL YOU.” Papyrus rubs his back a little. “AND WE’RE HERE, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE NO ONE HURTS YOU? I TOLD YOU THAT, REMEMBER? HOW WE WOULDN’T LET ANYONE HURT YOU?”

Sans looks up at Papyrus, completely awake now. “y-yeah.” He wipes his face. “y-yeah you d-did.” He turns to look directly at the doctor. She’s a rather short monster, standing somewhere under five feet with black and white feathers and a concerned look on her face. Sans keeps a tight grip on Papyrus’ shirt. “h-hey...” he says quietly.

“Hello, Sans?” She moves forward a bit. “I’m a doctor. May I look at your wounds?”

Sans looks over to his other self for reassurance. He receives an encouraging nod. “al-al– alright.” She comes closer and he cringes away, his grip on Papyrus’ shirt growing even tighter. The doctor pauses and looks at Papyrus. Papyrus strokes Sans’ back and tries to soothe him.

“SANS,” he says, moving his hand up gently to the back of Sans’ head. “SHE HAS TO LOOK AT YOUR LEG. AND YOUR– YOUR OTHER WOUNDS. PLEASE? I WILL BE WITH YOU THE ENTIRE TIME.” Sans takes a few shaky breaths, trying to calm himself. He closes his eyes and gives a small nod. Papyrus looks at the doctor and nods. She moves forward again and begins to examine Sans’ wounds.

The doctor examines him from top to bottom, wincing. When she reaches the wound on his leg, she lets out a strangled gasp. “What in the world…” She glances up at Sans’ face, then over to the other Sans. She decides not to ask questions right now.

“I am going to use healing magic, and then give you magical bandages, alright?” Sans nods, eyes still squeezed tight. She reaches out and her hands begin to glow a sunny yellow, and where her hand passes over, his pain begins to lessen, and his bone begins to close a little. A small whimper escapes his mouth, and when she finishes, she stands back, frowning. The doctor takes a roll of faintly glowing bandages out of her inventory and hands them to Papyrus. “These need to go over all of his wounds.

She walks over to other Sans, giving him a significant look, heading for the door. He follows somberly, and they slip out quietly.

“What the hell happened to him?” she asks as soon as the door clicks shut behind them. He looks her in the eyes.

“family business.”

She sucks in a breath sharply. “That’s not good enough. _He’s been tortured._ He’s malnourished, his bones are brittle, and his leg is completely mangled. That’s not family business. That’s _Guard_ business.” Sans grits his teeth at that. “Don’t try to argue with me. Why haven’t you already called them? Why isn’t he in the hospital? You didn’t tell me that–”

“he can’t go to the hospital. too many people. He could barely handle _you._ what do you think a hospital would do to him?”

“You can’t keep him here! He needs full-time care!”

“we will get him whatever he needs,” he says flatly. His tone makes her angrier.

“I have to report this. It’s a Guard matter. I don’t even know for sure that _you_ didn’t do this to him.” Sans grits his teeth hard and his eye flashes blue. She takes a step back. He puts a hand to his head and lets out a long sigh.

“alright, alright.” Sans relaxes his aggressive stance and his eyes fade back to white. He taps his teeth together in frustration. “fine. you have to report this. _fine_.” He glances at the door. His voice softens. “can– can you at least give him a day?” Sans asks, a pleading tone creeping into his voice. “he’s gotta get some rest. he’s exhausted, he’s hurt. you know the Guard will just question him, crowd him. you _know_ he can’t handle that right now. give us 24 hours. that’s all I’m asking. let him get a night of sleep. _please._ ”

She considers him for a moment, talons tapping together thoughtfully. “Alright. A day.” She holds up a talon, pointing it at him. “But if you’re pulling one over on me here, the Guard will not be happy. Whoever did this to him is going to be taken down _hard_. And I can guarantee if you’re as cagey with them as you’ve been with me, it’s going to be a lot harder on all three of you.”

He manages to give her an empty grin. “yeah. I know. thanks, doc.” She narrows her eyes at him and then takes out a script pad. She scribbles onto it furiously for a minute, then tears the top paper off and hands it to him.

“This is everything he needs. Pain medication and vitamin supplements. He needs to follow up with a bone specialist as soon as possible. And I don’t think I have to tell you but– he is going to need a therapist.” Sans nods.

She watches him for another moment. “Well. Until next time,” she thrusts her hand out to be shaken. “It was…nice to meet you, …?” She pauses, waiting for him to give his name.

“oh, yeah, I’m Sa–” he stops himself, his face twisting in slight panic. “ah– yeah– my name’s– uh– Cal?” She eyes him curiously as he takes the offered hand and shakes it.

“Nice to meet you, Cal.” She turns abruptly and walks away. His shoulders relax when she gets a good distance away and he runs a hand down the front of his face. He lets out a tired sigh and stands in the snow, watching her leave.

“shit.”

“Cal” shuffles away from the house, towards a building labelled _Grillby’s_. He fixes a grin on his face before pushing open the door, and a wave of greetings washes over him.

“Hey! Sans!”

“What’s up?”

“How’s it going, man? Didn’t see you yesterday!”

Cal waves and smiles at the other patrons, making his way over to the bar. He pulls himself onto a stool. A fire elemental watches him quietly from the other side of the bar.

 _“The usual, Sans?”_ Cal looks up at him.

“yeah, man but– can I get it to go?” Grillby’s fiery eyebrows raise but he says nothing, moving to the kitchen. Cal’s smile falls a little as Grillby leaves the room. He taps his fingers on the counter, thinking to himself.

_What are we going to tell the Guard? Long lost twin that I’ve never talked about before? Oh, no, officer, he doesn’t look like me you’re just seeing things? Yes, we broke him out of a torture dungeon, from a guy who looks just like Papyrus? Where was he? Oh, let me just show you my broken time machine. No, I’m not crazy, I assure you. We found him in an alternate dimension where everyone is the same except with pointy teeth. And where Papyrus is a sadistic psychopath. What do you mean you’re not buying this totally believable account of events?_

He pinches the bridge of his nose hole and sighs. He jerks as he realizes someone is calling his name.

 _“-ans? Sans? Are you alright?”_ Grillby looks are him worriedly, holding a steaming to-go bag.

“oh– yeah, sorry Grillz. I’m just– you know me. was takin’ a little nap.” He gives the other monster a wink. Grillby seems unconvinced but hands him the bag. “thanks. put it on my tab?” Grillby nods as Cal slides off the barstool. He grins and waves at the other monsters in the bar, apologizing for leaving so soon. He steps outside, slippers crunching in the snow. The door swings shut behind him and he lets out a sigh. He trudges back to the house and lets himself in, closing the door softly behind him.

Papyrus is leaning back against the couch, Sans in his lap. Sans is wrapped in the blanket and covered in the glowing bandages. He’s leaning against Papyrus, eyes closed. Cal walks over and sits down next to them.

“hey bros. ‘m back.” They both turn to look at him and he gives them a weak grin. “I gotcha something, Sans.” He holds up the bag and Sans’ eyes widen.

“i-is– i-is that–” His voice catches. Cal nods at him.

“yeah. Grillby’s.”

“I– it’s– b-be-been so–  _so long_.” He’s tearing up. “I– I can’t even– even remember the-the last time I…” He sobs a little, wiping at his face. Cal gently pushes the bag into his hands. He takes it and hugs it to his chest as Papyrus rubs his back. “thankyou.”

“no prob, bro.” Cal reaches out and rubs his shoulder. “it’s gonna be different now, okay? you’ve got us now.” Sans lets out a quiet sob. He leans back against Papyrus and starts to eat, tears streaming down his face silently. Papyrus continues to rub his back while he eats. Cal watches him worriedly.

 _I can’t let the Guard interrogate him. He’s a mess._ He taps his teeth together, albeit quietly. _What am I supposed to do?_ He looks at the remaining bandages sitting on the couch, brows furrowing. _Maybe…_

Sans finishes the food while Cal thinks to himself. Sans blinks tiredly and curls up. Papyrus shifts him a little in his lap.

“SANS? IF YOU’RE TIRED YOU CAN SLEEP. YOU DIDN’T GET A LOT OF REST BEFORE.” He rubs the back of Sans’ head, carefully avoiding the bandages. “IT’S OKAY TO SLEEP. I’LL STAY HERE, OKAY?”

“we both will. we got your back, okay?”

Sans looks at them both.

“I– I don’t– I don’t know wh-what to– to say? th-th-tha-thank you. I– I owe you s-so mu-much–” His voice cracks.

“shhhh, no. you don’t have to say anything.” Cal smiles and leans forward, giving Sans’ forehead an affectionate bonk. “you’re part a’ the family now. ya don’t owe us a thing.” He gives his shoulder another squeeze. “now you should sleep, okay? I’ll handle all the meds and stuff. don’t worry.”

Sans trembles, overcome with emotion. He nods slightly and closes his eyes, sagging against Papyrus’ chest. He falls asleep after only a few minutes his breathing a little ragged. Cal closes his eyes and leans back against the couch.

_what are we going to do?_


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, there’s a knock on the door. Papyrus answers it. There are two Royal Guard members at the door: a muscular fish monster and a stern-looking tortoise.

“AH! HELLO! YOU MUST BE HERE TO TALK TO SANS!” Papyrus nervously ushers them in. They file into the small house, one after the other. The short skeleton is sitting on the couch, looking nervous. He fidgets as Papyrus motions for the Guards to sit across from him.

“Hello there. My name is Gerson, Captain of the Royal Guard. This is Lieutenant Undyne. We would like to interview you.” The two intimidating figures sit across from him. Papyrus is stands uncomfortably, rubbing an arm. Sans fidgets with the bandages on his hands, not looking up. “Would you like to conduct this interview somewhere more private? Perhaps in your room?”

Sans stiffens a little, but shakes his head. “no,” he says very quietly. Gerson’s expression softens.

“Alright. May I call you Sans?” The short skeleton taps his teeth together quietly.

“uh…yeah…”

“Thank you, Sans. We don’t really know what happened here. With the information we have though, it seems like a very serious crime has been committed against you. But we would like to hear the whole story, from you.” Papyrus glances nervously upstairs. The lieutenant follows his gaze.

“I WILL GET EVERYONE TEA!” Papyrus interjects, and hurries into the kitchen. Undyne watches him leave.

“i…dunno if I’m gonna be much help though…” mumbles Sans. He motions to the bandages around his head. “got…a lotta...memory problems…” He hunches his shoulders. “sorry.”

“It’s alright, m’boy. Just tell us what you can remember, son.” Sans stares at his hands, not meeting their eyes.

“i…was gonna…well.” He looks uncomfortable. “i don’t get out a lot, right? I live here with my bros but i’m…” He shrugs. “iwentoutoneday,” he blurts out. “i…there was…a monster. he grabbed me. he had…” Sans’ toes clench. “he was…really strong. i…didn’t see it coming…”

Papyrus walks back out into the room, placing a tray of mugs on the coffee table. “PLEASE HELP YOURSELVES! IT’S– I WOULD LIKE…” Papyrus trails off as he looks around. “I’VE INTERRUPTED YOU, BROTHER. I’M SORRY.”

“s’okay bro.” Sans gives him a tired smile. Papyrus frowns and sits next to him. He wraps an arm around his shoulder, rubbing it.

“IT WAS RUDE. PLEASE KEEP GOING.” Sans nods.

“so i get grabbed by this guy right? he…grabbed my soul, pushed me to the ground-“ He shudders. “he put somethin’ over my head and…took me somewhere.” He leans into Papyrus. “fuck he…would…do things…he had…lotta tools.” Sans looks up at Gerson, who has a notepad out now. “do i gotta…do i gotta tell you…tell you about everything?” He puts a hand to his neck, voice strained. “he…would…strap me to this- this _table_ and...”

“That’s alright. You don’t have to detail it, m’boy. We can check with the doctor. You can generalize, unless a detail seems important.”

Sans lets out a shaky breath. “thanks.” He rubs his face with both hands, shuddering. “i…just…I can’t believe i’m home. it’sbeensolong.” He’s choking up. “iwastheresolong. ican’teven…” He lets out a sob and buries his face into Papyrus’ chest.

“GIVE HIM A MOMENT, PLEASE?” Papyrus wraps both arms around his brother. Gerson nods.

“Of course. Take your time, Sans.” Papyrus comforts him, rubbing his back and letting him cry into his shirt. Eventually, he manages to pull himself together, wiping his face furiously.

“sorry…i just…” Sans shakes his head. “it’s hard.”

“That’s perfectly understandably, son.”

“…thanks.” Sans takes a few deep breaths before continuing. “i was there for…years, i think. i never…i never _saw_ him. itwassodark. i…i don’t think i can tell you much. there was a table. i think it was in a basement? i would…” He fidgets with the bandages again for a moment. “i would scream a lot. but nobody came.” Papyrus squeezes his shoulder. “was…really…” He shudders. “igotout. he left me alone for…like a week? i don’t know. it…was hard to tell time. i got loose and…made it home.”

“By yourself?” asks Undyne. “You just got away?” She makes a noise of disbelief.

“i uh…” Sans looks down again. “yeah…?”

“How?” Sans looks up, a slightly panicked look in his eyes. “You were locked up in a basement and all of a sudden you get away?” Both the brothers look distressed.

“DON’T–”

“i mean- it was- look i was- the chains-”

“Lieutenant.” Gerson’s voice is hard. Undyne immediately sits up a little straighter, going quiet.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Try to be a little more gentle, ey lass?” Undyne gives a curt nod. “Now then, Sans. How did you get away?” Sans takes a deep breath and looks up at them.

“he left a piece of metal…in my arm. i think it was a mistake…or…” He looks down at the bandage on his arm. “or he shoved so much shit in me he…didn’t notice…anyway…i managed to pick the lock on one a’ my wrists. once i got that off, it was easier. got that fucking blindfold off and picked the rest.”

“You know how to pick locks?” questions Undyne.

“…yeah.” He shifts his gaze to Gerson. “ya want me to keep going?”

“Yes, of course, continue.”

“…yeah, so. i got outta that- it was like a bunker or something? came out in the woods.” He nods his head at the door. “an’ I kept walking till I recognized where I was.”

“Can you tell us where this bunker is?” Sans shrugs.

“nah i…was…really lost…? i mean…i know it was…a long walk? if that helps? i had to…rest a lot?” He makes a noise of discomfort. “i…don’t know how long i was out there…i may have…passed out a few times…” He ducks his head. Undyne is looking at him carefully.

“Were there any landmarks? Do you remember anything else?” Gerson’s voice is low and calm.

“i…no.” Sans looks at the tortoise, trembling. “i’msorry.” Papyrus squeezes his brother’s shoulder.

“IT’S ALRIGHT, SANS.” Papyrus glances upstairs again. Undyne narrows her eyes.

Gerson looks at his notes, and back up at the brothers. “Hrmm. Lieutenant?”

“Yes sir?”

“I am going to get the investigation started right away. This is very worrying. I am going to put some men on this immediately.” He stands. “Do you have any more questions for them?” She nods. “Alright then. Report back to me when you’re done here.”

“Yes sir.”

“Sans. Papyrus. Thank you for your time. I want you to know that the Guard will do anything within our power to bring this monster to justice.” He moves forward, scaly hand extended. Sans takes it, shaking his hand. Gerson shakes Papyrus’s hand as well. Papyrus springs up and walks him to the door.

“THANK YO SO MUCH, CAPTAIN. IT MEANS A LOT TO US THAT YOU CAME OUT HERE PERSONALLY.”

“It was my pleasure, son. Feel free to contact Undyne or me if Sans’ remembers something important. Even a small detail could be helpful.”

“OF COURSE, THANK YOU.” He opens the door, closing it after Gerson as he leaves. He turns back to find Undyne eyeing his brother with suspicion.

“You’ve been missing for years and your brothers never filed a missing persons report?” She looks over at Papyrus, who shift uncomfortably under her stare.

“maybe…you lost it when they did.” Undyne looks unimpressed.

“Where’s your other brother?” Papyrus glances upstairs again but quickly returns his gaze back to Undyne.

“he’s out getting’ my meds” Sans says flatly. He’s meeting Undyne’s glare. She stands.

“And you couldn’t go to the hospital because?”

“i was afraid.”

_“What are you hiding?”_

_“nothing.”_

Suddenly, the fish monster springs into action. She bolts up the stairs.

“NO!” Papyrus cries out.

She takes the stairs two at a time, and flings the door to Papyrus’ room open when she reaches the top. Inside is…Sans. He has the same bandages as the other Sans, but there are some clear differences. His teeth end in points and he’s smaller.

He’s also staring at her in abject terror.

“n-no– I– pl-plea-pleaseI’ms-so-sorryplease–” He’s huddled as far back into the bed as he can go, gripping a blanket tightly. “pleased– don’t– _don’tt-t-takemeback,”_ he pleads. He’s holding the blanket in front of him like a shield. He’s shaking so hard his skull rattles against the headboard. “pl-please–”

In a flash, the Sans from downstairs appears between the two of them, his left socket glowing an angry blue and yellow.

 **“get away from him.”** Undyne stares between the two of them in shock.

“But–”

 **“OUT.”** His voice makes her teeth hurt. Papyrus runs into the room and scoops the smaller Sans up.

“NO, BROTHER, IT’S OKAY, SHHHH, SHE WON’T TAKE YOU ANYWHERE. I PROMISE, I PROMISE.” Sans curls into a sobbing ball as Papyrus holds him to his chest. “YOU’RE SAFE.”

The Sans with the glowing eye – _the report said the other brother was Cal, didn’t it?_ – stalks forward, and Undyne backs out of the room numbly.

“I– I didn’t mean to– I’m–” Cal shuts the door sharply behind him, muffling the sounds of crying.

“you didn’t _mean_ to? well, you _did_ , didn’t you?” hisses Cal.

“I didn’t _know_ –”

 _“get out of my house.”_ Cal points at the door, seething.

For a moment Undyne stands there, halfway up the stairs, ready to protest. But then she turns and walks down the steps. At the door, she pauses and turns back to Cal, as if to say something. She thinks better of it though, and leaves without a word.

Cal lets out a sharp breath, forcing the anger down. _Gotta check on Sans._ He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before turning and opening the door. Papyrus is sitting on the bed with his back leaning on the headboard, holding Sans. He’s babbling at Papyrus.

“i– sh-she– Undyne–”

“bro.” Cal walks in and sits next to his brothers. “she’s gone, okay? she’s gone.”

“she– sh-sh-she’ll g-get him sh-she’ll–” Cal reaches out and rubs the back of Sans’ skull.

“shhh, no bro, no. she’s not gonna get anyone. she doesn’t even know him, okay? that’s a whole ‘nother world, right?” Sans hiccups and tries to control his breathing. “so no one can even find him, right?” Sans nods shakily. “s’gonna be okay, bro,” Cal soothes. “an’ even if she were to try– we wouldn’t let her.” He leans forward, touching his forehead lightly against Sans’ and holding his shoulders. “we wouldn’t let anyone.”

“NEVER.”

“g-g-god,” he whimpers. “i– th-thankyou.” Cal shakes his head.

“no need to thank us, bro. family looks out for each other, right? you’re safe. you’re safe. we love ya.” Papyrus pulls Sans closer to his chest, stroking his skull. Sans lets out a shuddering breath and closes his eyes, resting against his chest. They sit there in silence, holding him for a long time.

_safe._


End file.
